Review: RPO guest conductor Junichi Hirokami shines

4:08 PM,
Nov. 15, 2013

Written by

Daniel J. Kushner

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra presented its most stylistically varied concert of the season thus far on Thursday, with a performance of music by Paul Hindemith, Richard Strauss and Sergei Rachmaninoff that repeats Saturday.

From guest conductor Junichi Hirokami's demonstrative, almost frantic opening gestures, it was clear that this rendition of Hindemith's Concert Music for Strings and Brass -the RPO's first performance of the work - would be vigorous.

Perhaps the most crucial aspect of the composition is the contrast between the brass section's expansive, menacing tone ...